Fotoeins Friday: “Outside SOGO”, HKG Causeway Bay
The action rarely stops in Causeway Bay, like many other parts of Hong Kong. To the left outside the frame, department store SOGO stands opposite the street-level entrance ‘E’ to the MTR metro station. It’s 730pm and “big-city commotion” hits you from all sides: people heading home from work, people heading to the shops or restaurants, cars, taxis, and the rumble of the famous streetcars on nearby Hennessy Road. Blue-shirted volunteers for UNICEF are gamely trying to get their pitch out for donations to their cause. At centre is a bright white billboard with an elegantly dressed wedded couple. The “husband” and the man below are facing the same direction, while the “bride” with a tiara looks out to people on the street. The tag line for Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (周大福) reads “The Perfect One.”
In the course of my year-long RTW, I made the photo above on 21 June 2012 with a Canon EOS450D, 18-55 IS kit-lens, and the following settings: 1/30s, f/4.5, ISO400, 18mm focal length (29mm full-frame equivalent). The photo is an enlarged version of what appeared on Instagram. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-7YS.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
8 Responses to “Fotoeins Friday: “Outside SOGO”, HKG Causeway Bay”
Nice night image. You’ve definitely caught a lot of activity going on.
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Hi, Tim. It’s true shots like these remind me of what I miss about Hong Kong. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment!
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Henry, you’re welcome. Hong Kong has changed with the Mainland taking over. My first visit was in 1968 aboard the U.S.S. America. I visited again in 2012 and of course I recognized some parts but….
From what I hear, Vancouver is a great city. A lot of Taiwanese live there.
Also thank you for deciding to follow my blog. That is greatly appreciated.
Tim
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Hi again, Tim. I look forward to seeing more of your photography. What China PRC is doing in Hong Kong is very clever: have its people flood into Hong Kong for jobs, and slowly but surely, change the “Empire and English” into “Mainland and Mandarin”. It’s a game of time and numbers, which China realizes it will eventually win. China has also clearly sunk a lot of time and money into Shanghai as a force for seafaring trade and money/stock trades, as an alternative to Hong Kong. Hong Kongers are concerned, naturally; ask anyone if they’re Chinese, and you know they’ll answer with a definitive “no” and that they’re from Hong Kong. In the next few decades, the assimilation and “quiet annexation” will likely be complete. Put it another way: the population in Hong Kong is fairly steady at 7 million. But on its northern border in Shenzhen, there’s an astounding 13 million and increasing.
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Henry, that’s my impression as well. You put it much more distinctly than I could. My wife and I lived in Taiwan for 8 1/2 years and return for a couple of months each year. We are concerned with not only Taiwan but all of the South China Sea area. We’re headed to Taiwan in April and will stay until early June. With the new government in Taiwan it will be interesting to talk with the people there about how they feel.
As you may be aware I’m working on a series of images from a Civil War reenactment that was held on President’s Day in Souther California. Interesting and fun.
Keep in touch.
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What a great pictures. It is not easy to catch the right moment on camera but here it worked perfectly. So far I never managed to capture it so well when travelling in China. Something has been always a bit wrong. In April we will go to China again and I hope we will have a few days on Hong Kong
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Crowds, traffic, and bright signage make for an excellent combination. But one has to spend some time figuring the rhythm and flow, and to find out what works and what doesn’t. I’m guessing any large city in China will work, but I do like Hong Kong. Thanks, Timo, for reading and for your comment!
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[…] Seeking donations among night crowds at Causeway Bay. Hong Kong – 21 June 2012 (HL) […]
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